Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Phillips, Charles (fl.1770-1780)
PHILLIPS, CHARLES (fl. 1770–1780), engraver, was born in 1737. He worked chiefly in mezzotint after the old masters; and his plates of that kind, which are few but of excellent quality, were all published between 1766 and 1776, some by Boydell, and others by Phillips himself. The most important are: 'Boy with Pigeon,' after F. Mola; 'Virgin and Child, with St. John and Two Angels,' after Parmigiano; 'Holy Family,' after S. Conca: 'Isaac blessing Jacob,' after Spagnoletto; 'The Philosopher,' after Rembrandt; Rubens with his wife and child, after Rubens; Mr. Weston in the character of Tycho, after De Loutherbourg; Nelly O'Brien, after Reynolds; and Lydia Hone, after N. Hone. The last is a remarkably luminous and powerful work. Some of these Phillips exhibited with the Free Society, to which later, and up to 1783, he sent some plates in the dotted manner after De Loutherbourg and others.
[Chaloner Smith's British Mezzotinto Portraits; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Catalogues of the Free Society of Artists.]